I know the one on the right isn’t in focus, but I just couldn’t help myself  :)

I’m very excited to be *the* photographer for K9 Connection! Look for me at many of their other great events, including the upcoming Wine and Wag to benefit Homeward Bound Rescue. I’ve decided to do the event photos a bit differently this year. All the images will go in an online gallery, and web-friendly, watermarked files can be downloaded for FREE! Prints will always be available for purchase, but I wanted everyone to have a little something extra. AND, all K9 Connection event attendees can purchase a full session with me for 15% off…. is this awesome or what!

If you’re at an event and you notice I haven’t photographed your dog yet, don’t be afraid to flag me down! These events can get a little crazy, and I want to make sure I get everyone at least once!

You can donate any amount you like, and joining Team HART doesn’t mean you need to walk with us or come to the event, just that you support the cause. Looks like donations are credit card only {sorry, no Paypal} And if you can’t help us out this year, we promise to make a super awesome, super dedicated effort next year  :)

For more info on what this is all about, click here!

Two years ago today, on April 11th, my dad passed away. In 2003, he was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. People with stage 4 colon cancer generally only live for 3-6 months. But those numbers meant nothing. Aggressive treatments combined with a man whose will to live was greater than the diagnosis, allowed him 5 additional years. It was remarkable, really. So while it was unbelievably sad, I felt blessed that we had all that extra time. A few days before he died, my brother, sister and I were all at home together for the first time in over a year. It was as though he was hanging on for all of us to be a family one last time. A couple days later, he was gone.

Back to the numbers. April 11th of 2008 was also my nephew, Marco’s, 1st birthday. He was adopted from Columbia 7 months prior on September 11th. My dad’s birthday was {yep} September 11th. Is there something significant about the number eleven? Is it more than coincidence that birth, adoption and death dates all coincided with each other? Maybe and maybe not. If nothing else, I find it terribly interesting.

This is the first photograph of my dad that I ever took. I was about 5 or 6, using my little 110 camera I got from a garage sale.

This is my dad and I around that same year, on Father’s Day….. the hat was a gift from me  :)

And I took these of my dad with Marco, when we were all together…. the last photos ever taken of him.

Miss you, dad.

Ali’s blog writer, Meredeth, wrote an overwhelmingly wonderful tribute to Luc, and rather than me try to stumble through words, I really encourage you to click here and read her post. There are links to Luc’s medical difficulties and some info about his past. It’s really quite beautiful.

I can honestly say that I wouldn’t be where I am today with my business if it weren’t for Ali and Luc. Her amazing ideas and generous spirit have connected so many people, so many business owners, and have been a major factor in the growing Pet Community in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Sidewalk Dog is *the* resource for all things dog and pet related in the Twin Cities and beyond. Find all the dog-friendly businesses and restaurants, the local dog parks, get great deals from pet businesses, find out about events and fundraisers, and more. It began with Luc, but it will not end with him. Sidewalk Dog is on the rise, and I for one am very excited to see it grow. Sign up for the newsletter and tell your friends to do the same.

Ali, I love you, and I’m so sorry for your loss. Luc couldn’t have asked for a better mommy.

Isn’t Toby adorable!!

Shake it off, Grace.

It’s amazing how spending just an hour or two with an animal and the family who loves him can lift you up and help you to appreciate your own family and your own pets even more. I had a wonderful time meeting all of them, and felt right at home during our session. Farewell, Ewan. You were a very good boy.

This is Ewan’s “Woo Woo” ….. he does this when he wants something, when he’s happy, when he’s being spoken to, when he’s getting his picture taken…. super cute  :)

This is the face he makes when he’s getting good scratches and really enjoys it….

Bye, buddy. Thank you for letting me be a part of your life.

I had no idea there was such a thing as a bird rescue until a friend suggested MAARS as a potential Rescue of the Month. I was very excited to learn about them and be able to promote and help this wonderful group. I grew up with a parakeet named Zak. He was yellow and green and lived to be about 7 years old. He was great….. he’d sit on my shoulder while I played piano, he’d fly around the house, sit on his stuffed rabbit at the mirror and talk to himself. And every morning he’d be sure to let me know the sun was out and it was time to get up  :)

Like most people, I didn’t know much about keeping birds as pets, but I did my research and I like to think I gave Zak a pretty good life. In retrospect, and with more education and knowledge, I now know that Zak would probably have been much happier with a companion bird, and possibly even happier still having not been domesticated at all.

Far too many people purchase birds as a novelty pet, with very little knowledge about their health, both mentally and physically. I know I, for one, never knew that birds need veterinary care just as any other animal. Birds are *very* intelligent, social creatures, and many people are not prepared for the noise, mess, expense, and time commitment it involves.

Many birds — even hand-fed babies — lose their homes when their adolescent hormones kick in, and their caretakers are frightened and frustrated by their birds’ new aggressive behaviors. In the wild, these adult social behaviors make sense, but in our homes, they present a challenge. Many people are not prepared to lovingly nurture their parrot through these changes, but opt, instead, to get rid of their first bird and buy another cuddly, hand-fed baby. Parrot breeders are happy to provide the (often) expensive replacements, and the cycle continues. Adding further to the problem, parrots are potentially very long-lived. This means that even a well-cared-for, well-adapted captive parrot could require several homes throughout its lifetime if it outlives its caretakers or their ability to care for it.

MAARS was created in response to all of the throw-away birds whose needs are not being met: Those who will lose their homes because their loving human caretakers become ill, start a human family, move, or experience another life change. Those who are bought to serve only as living room decorations, status symbols, or business mascots. Those who will be “replaced” by a more handleable baby when their adult instincts start showing. Those who are born with or develop physical or mental health problems in captivity. Those who will overwhelm a bird breeder or collector with their numbers. Those who will be sentenced to languishing in small filthy cages, never again to feel the sun polish their feathers, or know the exhilaration of flight, or hear a loving voice. Those whose hearts will ache with loneliness and whose minds will be tormented by boredom and confinement. Those who are merely waiting to die.

MAARS is home to hundreds of birds, who are cared for by over 60 volunteers. My visit to the sanctuary was emotional and eye-opening. I was surprised at the number of birds who had self-mutilated (plucked out their own feathers) and learned that they do it for the same reasons humans hurt themselves…. mental anguish, depression, stress.

The  MAARS birds are separated into rooms that are breed- or behavior-specific. They’re beautiful, strange, and the way they look into your eyes is so intense and personal, it’s not hard to see why people are drawn to them. There was one small parrot that followed us around as I was taking photos, and I later learned that he generally doesn’t like new people, but seemed very interested in me. In fact, in all the rooms we visited, the birds didn’t make much of a fuss at all. I’ve got good bird vibes, I guess  :)

This first Moluccan is named Carly, and his story is very sad. He’s missing an eye and has brain damage after being hit with a bat. I can’t even fathom how someone could bring themselves to do that.

Some examples of the feather plucking….

This Ringneck (on the left) has been desperately trying to find a companion in the Cockatiel and Parakeet room. He has yet to find a suitor to return his affection. But he looks cute trying  :)

The “loud bird” room was definitely LOUD. Home to Lovebirds, Sun Conures and Lorikeets, amongst others, you could barely hear each other talk in here.

I had a nice chat with this guy when I arrived and when I left. He’s very good at saying “hello,” and was intrigued by my camera.

I encourage you to check out the MAARS website here to learn more about the reality of pet birds.

If you’d like to donate and become a member, click here.

Like all rescues, they are continually in need of more volunteers, as well as supplies. View their wish list here and see what you might have to donate.

For a list of all contact emails and phone numbers, please click here.

I hope some of you will find it in your hearts to help our feathered friends as well as the furry.

Killian had been having some health problems off and on over this past year, and just recently started to go downhill fast. Going outside one night, she collapsed. The emergency vet diagnosed her with severe hip dysplasia, arthritis and diabetes.

I photographed and sat with Laurie and Killi for a couple of hours right before her vet appointment to be put down. I got some great images of the two of them together, really feeling the love they have for each other. It was a gorgeous sunny day, and Killian got to lay out and see a few of her friends that morning. Laurie has always wanted bright blue skies for photos of Killian, and that day we had a perfect sky.

I sat down with Killi while Laurie brought her car around with another friend to help at the vet. The whole time she was gone, all Killi did was look for Laurie. She couldn’t get up, but she really wanted to go after her, to be with her person. We helped get Killi in the car, exchanged hugs and tears, and she was off to cross the Rainbow Bridge.

I cried more over Killian than I have over any of my own pets who have passed on. There’s just something about her giant, gentle soul that touches you. I still tear up going through these photos, and I’m so grateful to have been a part of her life.

Had to get one of the two of us together….

I went back through the archives and found some favorites from past sessions with Killian. These studio shots are back in 2008 when I was still figuring out what I was doing  :)

This was our second shoot, on what seemed like the coldest day ever. I love how Killi would grab her leash to walk herself…

These are from last summer, on Killian’s “date” with her boyfriend, Archer. They totally loved each other.

Goodbye, sweet girl. I hope we will see you again some day.

Thank you to the wonderful people at Lake Harriet Veterinary for caring for Killian and helping Laurie through this difficult time.